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Review: From F1's punchbag to midfield kings

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McLaren was a team reborn in 2019 after years of chronic underperformance and difficulties. How did it happen? Motorsport Week reflects on a flourishing campaign for the papaya guys and girls.

It is difficult now to recall the depths McLaren plumbed in the aftermath of its split from Honda. It was a very rude awakening that prompted internal finger-pointing, a group restructuring, and a realisation that it had to adopt a different attitude if it was to stop the rot. It slumped down the order, on occasion had the second-slowest package, and scored points just twice after the summer break in 2018. Fernando Alonso had seen enough. Daniel Ricciardo was sounded out but politely declined. Even Esteban Ocon was unenthused. It wound up with a driver deemed surplus to requirements by Red Bull and Renault, and another whose Formula 2 rookie season was solid if unspectacular. It had all of the ingredients to be a problematic year. Instead, McLaren has undoubtedly been the surprising revelation of the season, with the green shoots of recovery sprouting far quicker than anyone expected, spearheaded by the reborn Carlos Sainz Jr., his team-mate (slash borderline brother) Lando Norris and the charismatic Andreas Seidl.

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McLaren thrived in 2019 as it rose to fourth in the standings

Seidl’s appointment, shortly after James Key finally arrived as Technical Director, was regarded as the final piece of the jigsaw. This is a team almost entirely restructured and reshuffled in recent years, with new recruits complemented by the promotion of existing talent, and a case of getting a house in order. But there was still a dearth at the very top of the F1 team in the aftermath of Eric Boullier’s resignation, and Seidl’s eventual arrival in May gave McLaren the authority figure it craved. Seidl immediately gelled with the McLaren ethos, implemented a forward-thinking vision and pushed through plans for a new wind tunnel, which should be operational by 2021. One of Seidl’s first public declarations was to stress the future was with Sainz Jr. and Norris, as the spectre of Alonso – fresh from a test day – still lingered. It left no doubts as to where the focus would be. Re-aligning with Mercedes from 2021 is also an important step as it rejected Renault’s request for greater collaboration, wanting to remain as independent as possible. The appointment of Seidl also allowed Brown to take a step back and focus on the group as a whole, reducing his presence at grands prix. The cynical view is that McLaren is now clawing its way back towards where it was in the early 2010s, given the self-inflicted nature of its decline, but considering where it was in 2017 its recovery – and the groundwork laid for the 2020s – has been impressive. Four years after Alonso, having slumped in a deckchair after another failure, and Jenson Button jokingly mounted the podium in Brazil, the entire McLaren team got their moment in the sun courtesy of Sainz Jr.’s result.

After the constant unknowns at Toro Rosso, and the short-term nature of his loan Renault deal, Sainz Jr. finally found a home at McLaren. Any aspersions that this was a marriage of convenience were soon dispelled. Sainz Jr. worked hard to assimilate himself within the organisation, which included moving to Weybridge, while the knowledge that he would be spending two years – at least – allowed long-term planning that he had yet to experience or appreciate. There were some outstanding performances throughout the year: eighth on a difficult weekend in Spain, eighth from the back in Austria (an under-rated drive worthy of his departed compatriot) back-to-back fifths in Germany and Hungary, fifth in Japan, and of course the surge from last to third in Brazil. Finishing sixth in the Drivers’ Championship was an outstanding achievement. He did not just out-score Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon, who had half-seasons in a race-winning car, but racked up more points than the entire Renault outfit.

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McLaren emerged from the doldrums this year

Norris stepped up to Formula 1 as the youngest driver in McLaren’s distinguished history and did so with a wise head. McLaren, wary of how it mis-handled the likes of Kevin Magnussen, Sergio Perez and Stoffel Vandoorne, emphasised that Norris would be given time. Early on Norris heeded such advice, playing the percentage game rather than taking any unnecessary risk, wary that reaching the chequered flag was his primary target. Norris spent a bulk of the campaign out-pacing Sainz Jr. in qualifying – no mean feat – and it is not a stretch to say he was one of the midfield’s unluckiest racers. Potential hauls in Canada, Germany, Belgium and Italy went begging due to factors outside of his control, while he nobly played the team game in Monaco, partly sacrificing his own prospects to aid Sainz Jr. Norris was not as consistent as Sainz Jr. – not a surprise, given his inexperience – but the encouraging element was that his peaks were high, and he approached the season with an endearing attitude.  

Both drivers impressed but naturally they were facilitated by a stable chassis that was developed well, and a team that became operationally sharper if still far from perfect. Updates brought to the MCL34 yielded the desired results – a huge benefit after its 2018 correlation problems – and ensured that McLaren was regularly towards the front of the midfield group. Wider operating window than some rivals assisted its cause in qualifying while strong starts meant Sainz Jr. and Norris were occasionally able to rattle the cages of the front-runners on lap one. In an ultra-reliable field a few glitches, some down to Renault, robbed McLaren of even more points, while investments have been made in better and more reliable pit equipment after a handful of issues in race trim.

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McLaren will revert to Mercedes power in 2021

That McLaren sealed fourth with one race to go – and even scored a podium finish – spoke volumes of its progress through the 2019 campaign. It leapt from 62 points and a net P7 to 145 points and P4. But as senior management have been at pains to stress, this was the first building block in its long-term recovery. McLaren isn’t in F1 to finish fourth. And there are still warnings; it may have been fourth-fastest but it was not necessarily head-and-shoulders above its rivals all the time, as shown by its Mexico malaise off the back of its strong pace in Japan. Renault’s 2019 rut is also a lesson that getting to the front of the midfield does not automatically mean it will stay there in 2020. But, as with several teams, 2021 – and beyond – is where the real change may come. 

“I think we need to be realistic,” asserted the pragmatic Seidl in September. “For us let’s say the next target is to make the next step next year. Hopefully we can jump somewhere in terms of performance and lap times between where we are now and the top teams. That would be a great step forward for next year. For ‘21 onwards the new regulations are kicking in, but we need to be realistic. The three top teams are not just there because of having more money, they simply do a better job also, and they will keep doing a better job, so for us it’s important make sure we take the next steps as a team to do simply a better job. If we get everything right on our side, and keep working hard, we hopefully can challenge them at some point.”

McLaren has firmly re-established a level of respect after years of chronic failure and humiliation. The big challenge now is to make the next step.

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Dear all.

Thanks for another great year of reading on the FOH forum and your contributions to the thread. :) 

I really don't think there will be much more news worth posting, however will keep an eye out anyway.

My dad passed away last week, so I been a little absent and will no doubt take a break to clear my head toward the end of this week.

Hope you all have a great Christmas and New year. Thanks for reading.

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Mika, very sorry to hear the news about your dad. My deepest condolences for you and your family.

Thank you for continuing to do this thread , I always look forward to keeping up with F1 news with your thread.

Take some time for yourself, enjoy time with your your family and I’ll look forward to when the F1 news starts ramping up and your doing your thing again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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16 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Dear all.

Thanks for another great year of reading on the FOH forum and your contributions to the thread. :) 

I really don't think there will be much more news worth posting, however will keep an eye out anyway.

My dad passed away last week, so I been a little absent and will no doubt take a break to clear my head toward the end of this week.

Hope you all have a great Christmas and New year. Thanks for reading.

My condolences @MIKA27 Take the time you need.

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On 12/18/2019 at 9:42 AM, LLC said:

Mika, very sorry to hear the news about your dad. My deepest condolences for you and your family.

Thank you for continuing to do this thread , I always look forward to keeping up with F1 news with your thread.

Take some time for yourself, enjoy time with your your family and I’ll look forward to when the F1 news starts ramping up and your doing your thing again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

8 hours ago, bundwallah said:

My condolences @MIKA27 Take the time you need.

 

3 hours ago, JohnS said:

Thank you for keeping up this thread, Mika. I'd like to pass on my condolences for the recent passing of your father.

Thank you all for your well wishes. :)

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Rebranded Alpha Tauri sets date for 2020 launch event

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The rebranded Alpha Tauri team has set a date for the launch of its 2020 Formula 1 programme.

The squad has competed under the Toro Rosso banner since 2006, when energy drinks company Red Bull acquired the Minardi outfit, with its Italian name a nod to Minardi's heritage.

But for 2020 it will be rebranded as Scuderia Alpha Tauri.

Alpha Tauri is the clothing arm of Red Bull, which was launched in 2016.

Alpha Tauri’s 2020 team launch will take place on the evening of February 14 in Red Bull’s Hangar-7 complex, which is located on the outskirts of Salzburg, Austria.

Rebranded AlphaTauri team reveals F1 car launch date

The team has not stated whether its 2020 Formula 1 car will be launched at the same time.

Alpha Tauri will enter 2020 with an unchanged driver line-up of Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat.

Under its Toro Rosso guise it finished sixth in the 2019 Constructors’ Championship with two podium finishes to its name, courtesy of Gasly in Brazil and Kvyat in Germany.

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McLaren: 2020 pit stop investment worth avoiding lost points

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McLaren says it is pressing ahead with plans to upgrade its pit equipment, even amid impending standardised parts, due to the points it lost in 2019.

McLaren was recorded as the fifth-fastest pit crew through 2019 but team boss Andreas Seidl regarded it as a main area to improve, believing its equipment needed upgrading.

McLaren suffered pit stop dramas in Italy and Mexico, with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris respectively severely compromised by the delays.

Formula 1 is poised to introduce standardised pit equipment for 2021 but Seidl says McLaren’s setbacks this year means the investment for 2020 will still pay off.

“Coming out of this season obviously we know the areas we have to work on as a team, on pit stops and reliability, pit stop equipment,” said Seidl.

“This is a weak area, especially the hardware we are using on the pit stop side, we have a clear plan in place of how we want to improve the situation, how we want to get to a level where the top teams are. We now just need to implement it.

“I think the investment we have to do is still reasonable for next year, but considering the number of points we lost this year with pit stops it’s a good investment to make.”

In spite of the 2020 investment Seidl backed Formula 1’s decision to standardise the equipment from 2021 and beyond.

“In the end with standardised equipment it will still be down to the human performance of the team then, which is good, which we like, as we like the pit stops to be part of the competition in this sport,” he said.

“At the same time from our point of view it makes sense to standardise the equipment because in the medium- and long-term it’ll definitely save a lot of money.”

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Mercedes teams up with Tour de France-winning team INEOS

Mercedes teams up with Tour de France-winning team INEOS

Mercedes has teamed up with the Tour de France-winning INEOS cycling outfit that is working with a new 'Applied Science' division the Formula 1 squad has created.
The deal also involves petrochemical company INEOS's sailing team, which is aiming to win the America's Cup and is led by British sailor Sir Ben Ainslie.

Mercedes-Benz Applied Science (MBAS) was formed in March 2019, with a remit to "leverage the best of aerospace and motorsport technologies to deliver performance across the domains of land, sea and air", per a Mercedes statement.

It has a dedicated commercial wind tunnel facility at Silverstone and has "worked across a range of motorsport series including MotoGP, LMP and Formula E" in 2019, according to the statement.

MBAS has been working with Team INEOS – which has won seven of the last eight Tour de France events, including its Team Sky guise – since August.

The deal is said to involve "several projects" – including aerodynamic optimisation work and sensor studies on riders and equipment.

"The technological demands of Formula 1 mean we are well-placed to support with advanced technical challenges in specific areas of sailing and cycling, with a particular focus on aerodynamics and the manufacturing capability around key components," said Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.

Wolff added that INEOS founder and chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe had approached Mercedes "with the concept of bringing together the three organisations".

"We immediately saw the opportunity to grow and diversify our business - and to learn from some of the most successful teams in world sport," Wolff added.

"We are very excited about this agreement's potential in the months and years ahead."

Ratcliffe said: "Tapping into the unrivalled expertise and success of the Mercedes Formula 1 team to support our sporting ambitions across sailing and cycling is an exciting proposition for us."

MBAS's collaboration on sailing for INEOS Team UK currently involves 18 engineers working on hull and deck aerodynamics, as well as foils, drivetrain and hydraulics for its 2020 boat, plus simulation, manufacturing and quality control input.

Ainslie said: "There's an incredible amount of synergy across all the sports, Formula 1, cycling and the America's Cup - it's a fascinating mixture of pushing the boundaries of technical innovation alongside sporting prowess.

"Mercedes have been phenomenally successful in Formula 1 and there is undoubtedly much we can learn from their organisation.

"Being able to access their technical resource and experience will be a huge boost for our team.

Mercedes' partnership with Team INEOS is the second F1/cycling collaboration development to be announced in recent weeks.

McLaren, which had had a 50% joint venture partner in the Team Bahrain Merida cycling team, increased its involvement with the squad and it will race as Team Bahrain McLaren in 2020.

The team has signed 30-time Tour de France stage winner and 2011 world road race champion Mark Cavendish to its '20 roster.

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3 hours ago, rckymtn22 said:

Mika, sorry to hear of the passing of your dad. Thank you for all the effort that you put into this thread and I enjoy the information that you compile. Have a good Christmas and New Years.

You too my friend. Enjoy Christmas, New Years with your loved ones also. Be safe. :) 

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British GP most popular as 4m attend F1 events in 2019

Lewis Hamilton in action at the British Grand Prix

Formula 1 has revealed figures for grand prix attendances through the 2019 season, with over four million spectators passing through the gates, and the British Grand Prix the most popular.

The championship reported that 4,164,948 people attended a grand prix this year, an increase of 1.75 per cent compared to 2018, despite the cancellation of Saturday’s action in Japan.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone featured a weekend attendance of 351,000, edging Mexico (345,684) and Australia (324,100).

Both Britain and Mexico received contract renewals in 2019, with the future of the event at Silverstone confirmed through 2024, and Mexico staying until at least 2022.

Singapore and the USA (268,000 each), Belgium (251,864), Hungary (230,000), Austria (203,000) and Italy (200,000) registered high figures.

Sunday-only attendance was registered at 1,771,106, up four per cent year-on-year, with Silverstone – at 141,000 – topping the list.

Mexico (138,435), USA (128,000), Singapore (115,240), Belgium (109,064) and Melbourne (102,000) also had a six-figure race day attendance.

“2019 has been another great year for Formula 1 and we are delighted to see that over 4 million fans joined us at our 21 races, beating the attendance figures for last year, including a record breaking Italian Grand Prix weekend attendance with 200,000 spectators,” said Formula 1 commercial chief Sean Bratches.

“Our mission is to unleash the greatest racing spectacle on the planet and give our fans an experience they will never forget.

“We are therefore delighted to see that, based on research carried out on the ground, those attending events are enjoying their experience over a race weekend and we are determined to ensure they continue to feel that way.

"2019 has been an incredible season and we are already looking forward to next year when Hanoi and Zandvoort will join our 22-race calendar and when Formula 1 celebrates its 70th anniversary.”

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Red Bull ahead of schedule with 'great concept' for 2020

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Red Bull will head into the 2020 Formula 1 season with no excuses according to team advisor Helmut Marko, who revealed they are ahead of schedule with the RB16.

Red Bull had a lacklustre season, failing to challenge Mercedes in the opening part of the season before finally scoring its first win at round nine, the Austrian Grand Prix, adding a further two victories in Germany and Brazil.

Marko admits it took them longer than usual to get on top of the RB15 and that, along with Mercedes' strong form and first-lap contact for Max Verstappen in Mexico, cost them additional wins, having originally targeted five – one more than they scored in 2017 with Renault power.

"Normally we are at least competitive in Spain, but this year it took longer," Marko told the Red Bull-owned Servus TV.

"The fact we only won three [races] cost me a few bets. We had the potential for five, if not six wins."

Driver Max Verstappen has repeatedly said that for Red Bull to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari, they need a strong start to the season and Marko says this year they have no excuses not to deliver exactly that after revealing they are two weeks ahead of schedule.

"We don't have any excuses for next year," he added. "For the first time we are 14 days ahead of our normal schedule.

"We're going into the new year better than ever and with a great concept. Now we finally have to deliver."

The 2020 season marks the final year of the current regulations ahead of 2021, when huge sporting and technical changes will – hopefully – shake things up.

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Haas: No way drivers can be blamed for 2019 F1 slump

Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean

Haas boss Guenther Steiner says there is “no way” the team can pin any of the blame for its 2019 slump on race drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean.

Haas struggled to fully understand and develop its VF-19, with the team’s performance deficit most pronounced in race trim.

As a consequence Haas scored only 28 points and classified ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, marking its worst return since it joined Formula 1 in 2016.

“I think in no way can I attribute our not-so-good season to them, and therefore we stay with the same driver pairing,” said Steiner.

“I think we need to be honest and say they couldn’t have done better with the car.

“You always can do better when you’re not running into each other, but they just tried too hard at some stage.

“I don’t think I can jump to a conclusion that they didn’t do a good job this year.”

Haas’ problematic 2019 campaign came off the back of a strong 2018 season, in which it finished fifth in the standings, and challenged Renault for fourth overall.

“I think the positive you can take is like last year, we went quite high for where we should be, and it was a great feeling, and then I think you live a little bit on that high, and you cannot assume that you will stay on a high,” said Steiner.

“There is not one specific thing you learn, but I think sometimes, we need to be a little bit more critical of what we are doing ourselves, even if it all looks good, it doesn’t mean it is good.

“But there is not one thing that I could tell you we need to look after more this, that and the other. It’s more like in general, we need to do a better job.”

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Formula 1 won't go electric for decades - Todt

Formula 1 won't go electric for decades - Todt

Formula 1 will not go electric for decades, if at all, reckons FIA president Jean Todt.
While the Formula E series is growing and has attracted interest from fans and manufacturers, Todt is sceptical that battery-powered technology is able to meet F1's speed and distance demands for many years to come.

Instead, Todt sees F1's focus remaining on the use of hybrid engines – which not only reuse waste energy but can be made more environmentally friendly through the increased use of bio-sustainable fuel.

"At the moment you can only consider F1 with a hybrid engine," said Todt. "You cannot envisage to have FE substituting F1. 300kms? There is not one [electric] race car able to do 300km at the F1 speed today.

"It will be decades before it can happen, if it does happen.

"Today hybrid is the proper choice, the next step is to see how we can secure greener fuels."

Todt's view is backed by Mercedes' F1 engine chief Andy Cowell, who reckons that the sport can make great gains in developing bio-sustainable technology in the future.

Speaking to Motorsport.com about Todt's predictions of F1 not going electric for decades, Cowell said "It is all down to the storage technology. If it's lithium ion then his time frame is correct.

"If you go for a hydrogen solution that can be done today, but the cars would be a lot lot heavier and a lot bulkier than they are today. At which point I think you lose the F1 aspect of it.

"So I think that is why the steps that we're taking for 2021 are important, where we're introducing a 10% bio sustainable fuel.

"If we can, with the next generation of power units, develop an engine around the 100% sustainable fuel then there is a huge amount of carbon dioxide that we could convert into a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel.

"So let's leave all the carbon that's captured in the earth in the form of gas and crude oil and so on. Let's just leave that there. The planet has done a great job of capturing that, so let's capture some out the sky rather than out of the ground.

"Let's create liquid fuels and a 60% thermal efficient engine, at which point it's not about throwing the internal combustion away. It's about adapting that and the petrochemical companies adapting to carbon capture and so on. I think that's the 10-20 year future."

F1 chairman Chase Carey believes the sport can act as a beacon for the benefits of hybrid technology, as road car manufacturers weigh up what consumers will want in the future.

"I think this is an offensive issue, not a defensive issue," he said. "Electric is going to be part of the solution. But you know, they got their own issues, whether it's economics or batteries, what have you. But I think there are a lot of issues around it.

"I think the hybrid engine can actually be, in many ways, one of the most important, if not the most important component of addressing a billion plus cars out there today with combustion engines. And we can, through initiatives like fuels, fuel technology, and energy recapture, continue to make that space."

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LONG READ: Alex Albon - Seizing his second chance

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All kids have tantrums, and Alex Albon was no different. But it wasn’t a favourite toy or soothing song that his mother turned to in such a situation, rather a VHS tape of a Grand Prix re-run from the 2000s…

“I was completely obsessed with Michael Schumacher when I was four,” says Albon, as we chat on the sofas in the team’s hospitality. “Any time I was crying – or having a tantrum – mum would put a Schumacher race on and that would keep me quiet.

“I don’t know what it was about watching Schumacher. As a kid, you have a tendency to like the guy who is winning the race and at that point, Michael was doing the business. He just seemed like a good driver and I was impressed by how methodical and professional he was.”

‘Obsessed’ isn’t a word Albon uses lightly. “I painted my room red,” he says. “My wardrobe was red, my duvet covers were red. Everything was red. And the room was covered in posters. I was a full fanatic!”

The London-born Thai driver remembers meeting Schumacher in 2002, when he was six, courtesy of winning a competition at the British Grand Prix. “My dad took me to a race at Silverstone and, in the fan zone, I entered a competition to guess the top three drivers in the race.

“I picked Schumacher and then Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya, as they were my three favourite drivers. And I won! So I was invited to Ferrari hospitality and meet Schumacher. He gave me a signed hat, which I’ve still got!”

Albon was more than just a fan, though. He loved the thrill of driving from the moment his father bought him a go-kart and he made a figure-of-eight track out of bricks in a field near the family house, where he would spend hours circulating until he ran out of fuel.

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He had an immensely successful karting career, including winning the world championship, and that helped him earn Red Bull backing. For 2012, they opted to make the step up to single-seaters with a campaign in Formula Renault 2.0. But rather than kicking on, he struggled to adapt and failed to score a single point. Red Bull – known for being ruthless – weren’t impressed and dropped him at the end of the year. Albon is pragmatic, rather than bitter, about what happened.

“That first season in single-seaters went poorly,” admits Albon. “It didn’t feel like I had been kicked and I didn’t feel hard done by because I wasn’t performing. If you’re not performing, you’re not going to be in the programme. So it was about bouncing back strongly. I didn’t feel I had had enough time to prove myself – I just needed to show what I could do.”

So he headed to Thailand with his father on the hunt for sponsors, as he needed the funding in order to keep racing – and he succeeded. That was enough to complete two campaigns with KTR in Formula Renault 2.0, finishing third in that final campaign. A year in European F3 followed, before he stepped up to GP3, finishing second to team mate Charles Leclerc. Now he was cooking but while he secured a seat in F2 with ART in 2017, money was still tight. And early in 2018, he didn’t have a seat for the upcoming campaign. “There was only a 10 percent chance I was going to be racing,” he says.

DAMS took a punt on him, though, initially signing him on a race-by-race deal to give him more time to find funding before making it permanent. “DAMS were extremely kind to me, giving me the opportunity,” he says. It proved a good move, the Thai driver in title contention before being pipped for second by Lando Norris at the Abu Dhabi finale.

A career in Formula E then beckoned, after Nissan e.dams signed him alongside Sebastien Buemi for the 2018-2019 season. “I couldn’t afford to do another F2 season, so that was always going to be my last season as I couldn’t afford another,” he says. “Then I got the Formula E seat. It meant a lot.” But there was to be another twist.

When out shopping for trainers in the Dubai Mall, after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he received a call. It was Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko. “’Oh, oh,’ I thought”. It wasn’t a complete surprise, as he had been having discussions about a simulator role for 2019, alongside his Formula E duties, but he certainly wasn’t expected the conversation to take the turn it did. Formula E was no longer the destination. He would be an F1 driver at Toro Rosso. And he was back in the Red Bull family, seven years after getting the boot. It was quite a turnaround. “I cancelled my flight home, popped back to Abu Dhabi and spent the post-race test with the team.”

Albon did not waste his chance, impressing in the first half of the season with 16 points. Though he was 11 shy of more experienced team mate Daniil Kvyat, it was him who Red Bull marked out as their future. And when they opted to demote Pierre Gasly, they called upon Albon – with just 12 Grands Prix under his belt – to take his place in a car capable of race wins.

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The enormity of the move did not faze him. It was if the hard times earlier in his career had galvanised him. He scored points and was inside the top six in each of his first seven races, and was set for a podium in his eighth only for Lewis Hamilton to tip him into a spin.

It hurt. You could see the pain etched in his face. But within minutes of the incident, he was already putting a positive spin on things. He had a contract for 2020, after all, and you get the sense that it’s more a case of when, rather than if, he climbs onto the rostrum. His boss is pretty pleased, too.

“Every race he's done with us, he’s just got better and better,” says Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. “He was unlucky in Brazil, but I think he's driven brilliantly well, considering it's his first year and having the pressure of coming here [mid-season] and having Max Verstappen as your team mate. He's handled that really well. I think he's impressed the whole team with his approach and his attitude, with his feedback, with his pace, that continues to grow.”

For the first time in his single-seater career, Albon will have stability – the Thai driver getting his first pre-season with an F1 team, allowing him to get up to speed with the 2020 challenger Red Bull provide, as well as working on the areas he’s marked out as needing work – such as his qualifying form (he was on average 0.494s slower than Verstappen). Horner, for one, is excited about his future.

“He's had a lot of adversity to deal with during his career,” he adds. “And I think, you see people's makeup in adversity and I think he's shown that determination, that character, and I've got no doubt he'll he will benefit from stability now. He shares many of the same virtues that Max has with that ability to cope with pressure, that determination.”

Given the high regard in which Verstappen is held so early in his career, it’s quite the feather in the cap for Albon to be compared so favourably. It’ll be quite some task to beat Verstappen consistently, but Albon is showing all the signs of someone who is not only up for the fight but has the mental strength and raw talent to give it a mighty good go.

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Zandvoort boss confident banked corner won't cause any problems

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Zandvoort's return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2020 has required major changes to the circuit, including a banked final corner which will be twice as steep as the turns at Indianapolis.

Some concerns have been raised that this could lead to tyre issues, similar to those that saw the 2005 United States Grand Prix become a farce, as just six cars lined up to take the start.

This was down to an issue with the Michelin tyres – used by 7 of the ten teams – with the French supplier warning that its tyres couldn't cope with the increased pressure demanded by banked turns and they would likely fail after ten laps.

However Dutch Grand Prix sporting director Jan Lammers has no concerns that such an incident could be repeated.

"I don't expect any issues with the tyres," he told GPToday. "There are two reasons for that. First of all, the corner in Indianapolis is way longer than this one. So the overall tyre load was much heavier there.

"Second, the corners in Indianapolis have some kind of linear banking. Over here we have a progressive banking, almost comparable to a bobsleigh track."

Lammers says the matter has been discussed with F1 tyre supplier Pirelli and they continue to share data to ensure it won't be a problem.

"We talked to Pirelli as well. Basically from the first moment we thought of creating a banked corner in Zandvoort.

"We speak to them on a daily basis and share all the updates and information we have."

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Porsche we were 'really close' to F1 commitment admits motorsport boss

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Porsche came "really close" to committing to a Formula 1 engine programme according to Fritz Enzinger, Vice-President of Motorsport at Porsche and Head of Group Motorsport at Volkswagen AG.

It's often rumoured that Volkswagen, or one of its many brands including Lamborghini, Porsche or Audi, is mulling an F1 entry, however it has never become a reality. Though rumours of an engine programme were true according to Enzinger, but VW's decision to focus on electric motorsport spelled the end of that dream.

"Really close," Enzinger replied when asked by SpeedWeek how close Porsche came to joining the F1 grid.

"When the Group's Executive Board commissioned a highly efficient racing engine in 2017, Porsche had not only designed, but already built one," he confirmed.

"We were involved in the regulatory discussions between the FIA and the F1 promoter Liberty Media. However, during the construction phase, the group's decision was made to move towards e-mobility."

That decision led Porsche to enter Formula E alongside sister-brand Audi, but Enzinger says the development of their F1 engine hasn't been wasted entirely.

"The 1.6 litre V6 engine was already on the test bench. The development has not been in vain, however, as a large number of components and processes can be used for the electric series."

Speaking about Porsche's debut in FE, Enzinger said the results in Diriyah, where the team took a podium finish thanks to Andre Lotterer, far exceeded their expectations.

"It was really a surprise that we would finish second in the first race. It was important because our path was a brave one - we couldn't build on an existing team like the rivals from BMW on Andretti or Mercedes on HWA.

"So we needed experience, which is why Lotterer, who drove for two years in the best team [DS Techeetah], was hired and was the reference for us. After his verdict in the first test in August, we knew we were doing really well."

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Felipe Massa reckons Fernando Alonso could be tempted by Formula E

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Fernando Alonso could be tempted by a move to Formula E, reckons former Formula 1 team-mate Felipe Massa.

Alonso has tried his hand at several disciplines since retiring from F1, including IndyCar, WEC and his latest move is to the Dakar Rally, where he'll compete with Toyota.

Whilst Alonso has dismissed his chances of victory in the Dakar, insisting he is going to enjoy the event rather than focusing on winning, Massa believes it will be great for the Spaniard's fans to see him competing in such a difficult challenge.

"It will be a great experience for him and something different for all the fans," Massa told Spain's Soy Motor. 

"It will be very difficult, it is a great challenge for any driver, so it will be great to see him compete there."

Massa admitted he wouldn't be up for swapping his Formula E seat for a Dakar chance, but reckons Alonso could be tempted into a future FE switch.

"I would not do it, but it will be great to see him there," added the Brazilian, who races for Venturi and enjoyed a podium finish last season.

"I think it will be easier for me to convince Alonso to go to Formula E than him taking me to the Dakar.

"I think it is possible for Alonso to come to Formula E in the future. With Fernando, anything is possible."

The 2020 Dakar Rally begins on January 5 and ends January 17.

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Williams sells majority stake in its engineering business

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Williams has sold a majority stake in its engineering business to a private equity firm, the group has announced.

Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) was formed in 2011 as a spin-off from the Formula 1 operation, providing engineering solutions to external companies including Jaguar and Formula E.

WAE supplied the batteries to FE from 2014 through 2018 and have partnered with Unipart to develop the largest independent vehicle battery manufacturer.

Although Williams will retain a minority interest, private equity firm, EMK Capital, will take a majority stake in the business.

"We have rapidly grown WAE from an embryonic one client start-up, to a business with many clients in multiple sectors," said Williams CEO Mike O'Driscoll.

"The time is now right to sell a majority stake to enable WAE to further scale and develop its technologies. EMK Capital have a proven track record of success which will enable WAE to take advantage of these emerging opportunities and realise its full potential."

Craig Wilson, WAE's managing director added: "Williams Advanced Engineering has developed a strong reputation for providing energy-efficient advanced performance solutions to a diverse range of sectors and blue-chip clients.

"This expertise and our technologies in areas such as electrification, lightweight structures, aerodynamics and precision manufacture will become even more relevant and in-demand globally going forward.

"This new ownership structure will enable WAE to take advantage of these emerging opportunities and comes at a pivotal moment allowing us to further invest in new areas of capability and technologies in order to realise the full potential of the business."

Whilst much of the proceeds from the sale will go to shareholders as Williams is publicly traded, it will likely provide a major cash boost to the F1 team at an important period with major regulation changes planned for 2021.

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F1's TV directors "not doing a great job," says Perez

F1's TV directors "not doing a great job," says Perez

Racing Point driver Sergio Perez thinks Formula 1 TV directors are "not doing a great job" of capturing the most exciting on-track moments during grand prix weekends.
Perez overtook Lando Norris on the final lap of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which also meant he beat Norris to 10th in the drivers' championship, but the pass was not shown on the live broadcast as race winner Lewis Hamilton was completing his final lap. 

Norris's McLaren teammate Carlos Sainz also completed a decisive final-lap overtake to secure sixth in the drivers' championship that was not broadcast live.

Asked to assess F1's current state, Perez said: "The main problem in my opinion is a difference across teams.

"When you see the racing in the midfield with the same tyres, with the same aero, with the same bullshit that we keep talking about every weekend, they get racing in the middle.

"It's amazing. Yes. The problem is that they don't show it on TV. I think that directors are not doing a great job. But the race in the midfield, it is unbelievable.

"It's a fantastic sport, but the viewers will be so happy to see a race like this - turn on the TV and you don't know who's going to win the race.

"Turn on the qualification, and you don't know what's going to be like the top five teams. That's pretty encouraging to see. As a fan, I would like to I would love to see that."

Sainz said in September he wanted to "take action" over the lack of airtime midfield teams receive, having been part of a four-car battle for 11th at the end of the Singapore GP that went unseen.

Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team VF-19

Asked by Motorsport.com about passes like his on Daniel Ricciardo at the end of the Abu Dhabi race not being broadcast, Sainz said: "I hope they show it soon.

"If not then, obviously I've been disappointed before, I'm not going to talk too much about it but I think everyone has been talking about this P6 midfield battle for a whole weekend and then the fight was down to a last lap.

"One of the last corners and still they don't show it on TV. So it's obviously strange that everyone hypes these P6 battles and in the end no one shows it on TV."

Haas boss Gunther Steiner agreed the coverage midfield teams get could be improved.

"I think it should be shown a little bit more because at the front there is not a lot happening and you need to show the spectator the whole picture because otherwise you don't really understand why this is shown," he said.

"It would be very nice if they could show more from our perspective."

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Ferrari wants to add female drivers to F1 junior programme

Ferrari wants to add female drivers to F1 junior programme

Ferrari wants to add female drivers to its Formula 1 junior programme and is working to make sure it happens "very soon".
Only six women have ever participated in an official Formula 1 world championship weekend and Lella Lombardi remains the most successful with a best result of sixth in the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, which earned her half a point.

The most recent female participant was Susie Wolff, who took part in four practice sessions across the 2014 and 2015 seasons, while Giovanna Amati was the last to attempt to take part in a grand prix, failing to qualify for three races in 1992 for Brabham.

W Series champion Jamie Chadwick and Formula 2 backmarker Tatiana Calderon have affiliations with the Williams and Alfa Romeo F1 teams respectively, with Calderon testing an old Sauber privately.

Ferrari is preparing to increase the number of Ferrari Driver Academy participants in 2020 as it attempts to "invest in the future", according to team boss Mattia Binotto.

"A few other drivers will join," he said. "It's something on which we are working very hard. So, we are pleased to know that.

"The Driver Academy is an important investment for us. [Ferrari F1 driver] Charles is the best example. We need to look at the future generation of talent for Ferrari.

"The Academy also looks for women in the future. Women should be part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. That's something on which we are working right now to make sure that it may happen very soon."

Since the F1 world championship started in 1950, there have been 772 different drivers who have started a grand prix.

Only two, Lombardi and Maria Teresa de Filippis, are women – although non-qualifier Desiree Wilson had success elsewhere, winning a round of the 1980 British F1 series at Brands Hatch in a Wolf WR4.

Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said in an end-of-season video released by Mercedes last week that a successful female driver would be part of his wish to see F1 more diverse.

"I want the sport to be more accessible," said Hamilton, who became the first black F1 driver when he made his debut in 2007.

"I was at the FIA gala and I came across an Asian family, and I was like, 'Hey, I thought I was gonna be the only brown person here!' Because that's how it normally is.

"I'm in a world where that's been common for my entire life. So to see people of colour in the audience, whether it's black, Asian, whatever it may be, it's just great to see diversity slowly creeping in.

"It is a world that's open to everyone. And I hope at some stage there's a young powerful woman that comes through and blows the field away. Wouldn't that be something special?"

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Leclerc and Ferrari announce multi-year agreement

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2019 was a break-out year for Charles Leclerc, and now Ferrari have reiterated their faith in the Monegasque by formally announcing a contract extension lasting until the end of 2024.

Having starred for Sauber during his rookie season in 2018, Leclerc appeared to make the step up to Ferrari with ease this past campaign, becoming their youngest-ever winner and taking 10 podiums in 2019.

He said: “I am very happy to be staying on with Scuderia Ferrari. This past season, driving for the most illustrious team in Formula 1 has been a dream year for me.

“I cannot wait to enjoy an even deeper relationship with the team after what has been an intense and exciting 2019. I’m keen to see what the future holds and I can’t wait to get going again next season.”

In just his second race for the Prancing Horse, in Bahrain, he became Ferrari’s youngest ever pole-sitter before narrowly missing out on victory. The 22-year-old then captured a further six poles over the course of the season to win the pole position trophy, as well as two victories, including an emotional triumph on the Scuderia’s home soil at Monza.

He finished the season in fourth place in the championship, 24 points ahead of four-time world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel.

Team Principal Mattia Binotto added: "With each passing race this year, our wish to extend our contract with Charles became ever more self-evident and the decision means he will now be with us for the next five seasons. It demonstrates that Charles and the Scuderia have a firm future together.

"Charles has been part of our family since 2016 and we are more than proud of the results we are achieving with our Academy. We are therefore very pleased to be able to announce that he will be with us for many years to come and I’m sure that together, we will write many new pages in the history of the Prancing Horse."

Lawrence Barretto [Senior writer, F1.com] says…

Today’s announcement does not come as a surprise, but it does put on record for the first time that – as expected - Charles Leclerc is part of Ferrari’s long-term thinking.

When the Ferrari Academy Driver joined the works team this season after just a single campaign with Sauber, few would have believed he would end the season with two wins, seven pole positions, and ahead of decorated team mate Sebastian Vettel in the standings.

Ferrari had high hopes for him, but even they have privately admitted being surprised with how quickly he’s hit the ground running – and coped with the pressure of driving at a top team. With a difficult car to drive, it was he – rather than Vettel – who adapted better and triumphed in the mental battle with the German, too.

Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri said at the media Christmas lunch earlier this month that Leclerc is “an integral part of the team” and this news serves as public confirmation of that. The youngster has integrated incredibly quickly, is well-liked by the engineers and mechanics and – critically – has marked himself out as someone the team can build themselves around,

With Vettel struggling to perform on track, publicly confirming Leclerc’s status with the team will give the Monegasque a confidence boost. In taking him off the market officially, it also prevents unnecessary speculation and wards off rival teams sniffing around and potentially destabilising him.

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Lewis Hamilton hopes rising costs of junior series can be tackled

Start of a Formula 2 race

World Champion Lewis Hamilton says one of his main ambitions long-term is to help address the rising costs of competing in junior categories.

Junior single-seater budgets have risen in recent years, with youngsters required to bring extensive financial packages to teams on the single-seater pyramid towards Formula 1.

A driver seeking to race for a front-running Formula 3 team can be expected to bring in excess of a million Euros, with Formula 2 budgets substantially higher.

“I think where motorsport has gone, if you look at Formula 3, it’s not the same as it used to be,” said Hamilton.

“Formula Renault isn’t the stepping stone that it used to be.

“GP3, GP2 [sic] those things are getting continuously more expensive, and don’t generally need to be. Karting is getting more and more expensive, but it doesn’t really need to be.

“But again, it’s because the business heads are not aligned with my thought process.

“ So I’m just trying to think about what I can do, and diversity is a continuous issue, and will continue to be an issue for a long time, and there’s only a certain amount I can do.

“I am trying to think about what it is I can actually do and work with, and how I can work with F1, rather than it just be a tick on their list of things to add to we also do, you know what I mean?

“Which businesses often do, and actually have something that is really implemented and actually making an impactful difference being made.

“So I’m still trying to understand that. But it is at the top of my priorities in terms of what I want to do long-term.”

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